🎓SAT Review
Fiveable SAT Writing and Language: Standard English Conventions to Know
Fiveable SAT Writing and Language: Standard English Conventions to Know
Grammar… Who?
Grammar is just the study of how words work together in sentences. It covers how we arrange and change words depending on context, and you already use it every day without thinking about it.
From texting friends to writing essays, you're constantly making grammar decisions. Try answering the three fill-in-the-blanks below to see what you already know:
One way to approach these is through process of elimination (POE), a test-taking strategy that works well on the SAT. For question 1, "He had draw a line under my name" doesn't sound right, so you can cross it out. "He had drew a line under my name" also doesn't work, because the past participle (not the simple past) is needed after "had." That leaves answer C: "He had drawn a line under my name."
If you answered B and A for #2 and #3, you're in good shape. Grammar is more intuitive than most people think.
Standard English Conventions on the SAT
The SAT's Reading and Writing section tests Standard English Conventions, which the College Board describes this way:
"This is about the building blocks of writing: sentence structure, usage, and punctuation. You'll be asked to change words, clauses, sentences, and punctuation. Some topics covered include verb tense, parallel construction, subject-verb agreement, and comma use."
That covers a lot of ground, so here's how it breaks down into three main categories:
Sentence Structure refers to how words and phrases are organized within a sentence to convey meaning. On the SAT, you'll need to spot and fix problems with sentence formation, like run-on sentences, fragments, and awkward shifts in construction.
Conventions of Usage means following standard practices for how words are used. This includes choosing the right word to avoid ambiguity (like their vs. there vs. they're) and keeping style and tone consistent throughout a passage.
Conventions of Punctuation covers standard punctuation rules. You'll need to know when commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes, and other marks are used correctly.
Beyond those three categories, the SAT frequently tests these specific topics:
- Verb tenses: knowing when to use past, present, future, and their perfect forms
- Parallel structure: keeping items in a list or comparison in the same grammatical form ("He loves to walk, dance, and eat," not "He loves to walk, dancing, and eat")
- Subject-verb agreement: making sure the verb matches its subject ("The group of students was ready," not "were ready")
- Comma use: placing commas correctly in lists, after introductory phrases, around nonessential clauses, and between independent clauses joined by a conjunction
For deeper coverage of each building block, check out these companion guides: